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The March-May spring season was the 36th coolest on record for the contiguous United States, according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Separately, last month ended as the 34th coolest May for the contiguous United States, based on records dating back to 1895. The average spring temperature of 51.4 degrees F was 0.5 degree F below the 20th century average. The average May temperature of 60.3 degrees F was 0.7 degree F below the 20th century mean, based on preliminary data. U.S. Temperature Highlights * The March-May temperatures were cooler than average from the...

Confirming what many of us have already noted from the anecdotal evidence coming in of a much cooler than normal May, such as late spring snows as far south as Arizona, extended skiing in Colorado, and delays in snow cover melting, (here and here), the University of Alabama, Huntsville (UAH) published their satellite derived Advanced Microwave Sounder Unit data set of the Lower Troposphere for May 2008. It is significantly colder globally, colder even than the significant drop to -0.046°C seen in January 2008. The global ∆T from April to May 2008 was -.195°C

The global temperature anomaly (difference from 30-year average) for May, 2008 was -.18 degrees Celcius. This is the lowest anomaly in 8 years. The global average temperature for May 2008, was the coldest for the month of May since May, 1993. It was the 4th coldest in the 30 year history of satellite temperature measurement.

Some trails and campgrounds are still under several feet of snow, keeping them closed, in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Officials said of the 34 campgrounds normally open for Memorial Day, 24 will be open for the holiday weekend. Snow covers the other 10 and most of the trails. "We had unprecedented snowpack this year and above 2,000 feet elevation you will encounter continuous snowfields, or lower, if the area is shaded," said Rodney Mace, a forest recreation staff officer. Campground openings that have been postponed include Silver Springs until May 30, and the following until June 13: Denny Creek,...

ASSOCIATED PRESS - Construction of new homes posted the biggest increase in more than two years in April. While it was a rare bit of good news for the housing market, analysts said it's far too soon to declare an end to the extensive slump. The Commerce Department reported yesterday that housing construction rose by 8.2 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.03 million units. Building of single-family homes continued to weaken, however. The growth came from a big jump in apartment construction. Analysts predicted the surprising rebound in April would be temporary given the headwinds...

Climate Monitoring / Climate At A Glance / UNITED STATES / Help UNITED STATES Climate Summary April 2008 The average temperature in April 2008 was 51.0 F. This was -1.0 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average, the 29th coolest April in 114 years. The temperature trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit per decade. 2.39 inches of precipitation fell in April. This was -0.04 inches less than the 1901-2000 average, the 54th driest such month on record. The precipitation trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.01 inches per...

April 2008 was the coldest April in 11 years. April also ranked the 29th coldest since record keeping began 114 years ago. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the U.S. average temperature for the month was only 51 degrees, which is 1 degree below the average from 1901-2000. Along with those colder than normal temperatures, April 2008 was dry - the 54th driest on record.

Wow! What an arctic blast! Can you remember a colder Good Friday and Easter? It wouldn’t be so bad if it had been cold all along, but to be in the high eighties and then wham! Frostbite! And then, to add insult to injury, it stayed miserably cold with repeated heavy frosts until at least the tenth of April! Condolences to all of you who had your warm season gardens planted. The weather will swing in the opposite direction like a demented weathervane soon enough and we will be miserable with the high temperatures. Sure doesn’t look like we’re going...

The low temperature at SeaTac Airport last night was 34 degrees. The record low for this date was 33 degrees, set in 1961. The forecast high today is 46 degrees. The lowest high temperature for this date at SeaTac was 47 degrees, set in 1975. The Puget Sound region, especially north of Seattle, had 2-6 inches of snow, with some eastern areas reporting 10 inches. Although NOAA reports the fourth lowest March snow cover in North America, snow cover in the Cascades has been well above average since November.

The Light Erik Lewandowski Morning Flyout Jim Fenton Happy Easter Jacqueline Olexa Spring Joeri De Schutter Red and White Tulips Dale Crawford Logan at Easter Chris OMeara Lily Olga Gerasimova Spring... Katerina Lomonosov day of rain Beate Miedl-Rissner Untitled Carlos Barriuso Amo Danii and bunny Lola Martin Wilmsen Garza real Carlos Barriuso Amo Songs of Spring Jim Fenton Natalya Carson Exposed Mia Friedrich Layla seeking (and catching) easter eggs Gerard Maas UKRANIAN EASTER EGGS george mclean The Orchard Une femme avec un bycicle Andrew Maidanik SnowflakesAndrew Campbell Easter Sunday in Quito Ricardo Salguero surrounded by spirits Stanislav Volgushev Symmetry...

Not much time or energy today, just made a fast run to the store for cat food, with part of the trip running through the county arboretum, LOL. It is looking good! On the way home I stopped at a little wild pond, the neighborhood Anhinga was sunbathing. I can't figure how they balance on little skinny branches with their big floppy feet, but somehow they do it. http://www.pbase.com/tsiya/root http://photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/ http://cabbagehammock.blogspot.com/

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know.......many folks are still covered in snow others are facing other horrendous weather issues. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. HOWEVER - at 1:26 Eastern this afternoon Spring officially begins. Trying to find articles about the first day of spring was practically an impossibility. Oh sure, there were some out there but most of them were real downers, so I decided today might be a great share some of our favorite gardening websites. The categories of gardening and seed catalogs on my favorites list are both as long as my arm, but I grabbed...

WASHINGTON - The capital's famous cherry trees are primed to burst out in a perfect pink peak about the end of this month. Thirty years ago, the trees usually waited to bloom till around April 5. In central California, the first of the field skipper sachem, a drab little butterfly, was fluttering about on March 12. Just 25 years ago, that creature predictably emerged there anywhere from mid-April to mid-May. And sneezes are coming earlier in Philadelphia. On March 9, when allergist Dr. Donald Dvorin set up his monitor, maple pollen was already heavy in the air. Less than two...

When the Snowy Egrets get all dressed up, and the Red Breasted Mergansers pass through on the way North, it's Springtime! http://www.pbase.com/tsiya/root http://photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/ http://cabbagehammock.blogspot.com/

My buddy from the county arboretum emailed to say that the little Saucer Magnolia was starting to bloom, tiny little tree, more flowers than tree. Stuff is popping out of the ground everywhere you look, even saw the first Ladybug of the season. When I got home I plopped down on the porch steps, looked up and a big Florida Cooter was crossing the driveway. It was still covered with sand, it's been buried and sleeping all winter. It's Spring, folks! http://www.pbase.com/tsiya/root http://photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/ http://cabbagehammock.blogspot.com/

This is one that I've actually seen in person; it's just off Highway 4 north of Jemez Springs (near Los Alamos). There's a small hot spring, certainly from the remnant heat of the Valles Caldera just up the road, that created the "soda" (limestone) that makes the dam that is cut through by the Jemez River.

Get ready for another surge in gasoline prices. Experts are predicting pump prices, which jumped by almost a dollar a gallon in each of the last two springs in many parts of the United States, will spike again this year as refiners and gas stations switch from winter- to summer-blended fuels. The increases, starting as early as February in southern California, could push the average national price to a record $3.50 a gallon or more by June. That would be 17 percent higher than today's average of just under $3 a gallon, which already is about 80 cents a gallon...

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2007 – Coalition forces have the upper hand against Afghan insurgents despite previous fears of a bloody Taliban spring offensive aided by Iranian technology, the deputy director for operations on the Joint Staff said here today. “I will tell you, I think in fact the offensive is not theirs but ours,” Army Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins told Pentagon reporters in a news conference. Coalition troops have been highly active in Afghanistan’s eastern and southern sectors, Wiggins said, and the Taliban’s leadership and fighting force has suffered “serious losses.” Mullah Dadullah Lang, the Taliban’s top military commander and...

ATLANTA – It may be two weeks into spring, but it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Cold temperatures in much of the country have those celebrating Easter this weekend swapping out frills, bonnets and sandals for coats, scarves and socks. Baseball fans are huddled in blankets, and instead of spring planting, backyard gardeners are bundling their crops. The National Weather Service was predicting record lows Sunday for parts of the Southeast and Midwest, and an unseasonably cold weekend for much of the Northeast. Snow was forecast in parts of Ohio, Michigan and New England. “Our musicians are worried...

Someone forgot to break the news to Algore and Mother Nature: Its snowing in mountain Colorado this Saturday and its Spring! Global Warming Alert

Target Iran: US able to strike in the spring Despite denials, Pentagon plans for possible attack on nuclear sites are well advanced Ewen MacAskill in Washington Saturday February 10, 2007 The Guardian (UK) A second battle group has been ordered to the Gulf and extra missiles have already been sent out. Meanwhile oil is being stockpiled. Photograph: Reuters US preparations for an air strike against Iran are at an advanced stage, in spite of repeated public denials by the Bush administration, according to informed sources in Washington. The present military build-up in the Gulf would allow the US to mount...

The tree as a metaphor for personal growth. Tom was about to collapse. Three days of trekking through the desolate desert had taken its toll: fatigued and parched from a thirst that only a barren stretch of wilderness could produce. The sun blazing overhead was making his head spin. His stomach constantly reminded him of how empty it was. How long had it been since he had partaken of a decent meal? Just when he could barely take it anymore Tom noticed something looming ahead on the horizon. Could that really be a fruit tree? It must be a mirage...

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. - A new pair of hands pulled Punxsutawney Phil from his stump this year, so it was only fitting that the groundhog offered a new prediction. Phil did not see his shadow on Friday which, according to German folklore, means folks can expect an early spring instead of six more weeks of winter. Since 1886, Phil has seen his shadow 96 times, hasn't seen it 14 times and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The last time Phil failed to see his shadow was in 1999. More than 15,000 revelers milled...

Iraq's government will have command of its own armed forces by the middle of next year, a US general said, revealing details of a deal between the US president and the Iraqi prime minister. US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell said Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and President George W. Bush had agreed on an "accelerated timetable" for Iraq to take charge of its own security. The announcement came on the eve of a much-anticipated report from a panel of US experts which is expected to recommend that US forces in Iraq do exactly that, in order to disengage American...

Hatch helps spring Austin from Dubai jailBy The Associated Press Sat Jul 8, 5:50 PM ET Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, sits at a piano in his Capitol Hill office in this May 6, 1997 file photo. Hatch, a musician in his own right, helped secure the release of Atlanta R&B producer Dallas Austin from a Dubai jail after a drug conviction, his office confirmed Saturday July 8, 2006. (AP Photo/Cameron Craig, File) SALT LAKE CITY - U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, a musician in his own right, helped secure the release of Atlanta R&B producer Dallas Austin from a...

After the long, dark cold of winter, many people look to spring to bring them bright sunshine, warmer weather - and non-stop sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as "spring allergies" or "rose fever," is one of the most common allergic conditions in the United States, affecting approximately 36 million people (www.aaaai.org).

Millions of Americans will lose an hour's sleep Saturday night, as daylight savings time returns. Officially clocks should be moved ahead one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, but most people will change their clocks before going to bed Saturday night. The lost hour will return October 29 when clocks fall back to standard time. Congress has passed a law changing the dates of daylight-saving time, from March 11 to November 4, but that doesn't take effect until 2007.

3/31/2006 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) -- “Service Before Self,” one of the Air Force’s core values, is on the minds of 135 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets who are working during their alternative spring break in areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The project is part of the Cadet Service Learning program which centers on community involvement. “CSL takes this core value from theoretical concepts of the classroom and a training environment,” said Maj. Eric Ecklund, of the academy’s Center for Character Development. “It allows cadets to put it to the test in real situations, meeting the needs...

UNH Scientist Announce New Beginning of Natural Spring The sun will still cross the equator on March 20th marking the vernal equinox and the official start of spring, but Mother Nature is increasingly getting a jumpstart on the celestial movements. Over the last 150 years, scientific measurements show that events signifying the beginning of spring have all shifted. These events now happen about a week earlier on average in the northeast United States, according to a new report, Evidence of Early Spring, from the group Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP), which today announced the new, first day for "natural spring," March...

Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have found evidence in eastern North America that the snow is melting and running off into rivers earlier than it did in the first half of the 20th century. According to a USGS study published in the most recent issue of Geophysical Research Letters, winter-spring flows in many rivers in the northern United States and Canada are occurring earlier by 5-10 days. "We studied rural, unregulated rivers with more than 50 years of USGS and Environment Canada river flow data," explained Glenn Hodgkins, lead author and hydrologist at the USGS Maine Water Science...

The mercury is rising, the flowers are blooming and the beach season is about to begin. Spring is here -- known as one of the more pleasant times to be in the Lowcountry. It's not too hot, not too cold and the tourists aren't quite in full force. But the change of the season has ushered in a slew of unwelcome guests -- and no, they're not from Ohio. They are those tiny black critters that attack in swarms and chew holes in human skin, causing itchiness, welts and overall aggravation. Commonly referred to as no-see-ums, sand gnats, sand flies,...

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world. A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in...

In this photo provided by Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp., Michelle Baxter tackles some of the more than 400 inches of snow that have piled up during the season on the roof of Patrol HQ, at the Steamboat Ski Area in Colorado, Thursday, March 16, 2006. This is the fifth time the resort has reached the 400-inch cumulative snowfall milestone in the past 27 years and the first time since the 1997/98 ski season, according to the resort. (AP Photo/Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp., Larry Pierce)

Schools close as week-long Arctic storm takes hold By Auslan Cramb Scottish Correspondent (Filed: 01/03/2006) More than 150 schools were closed yesterday and dozens of roads were blocked by snow as Arctic weather hit parts of Britain. Walkers brave the elements at Scarborough, North Yorks, where a severe weather warning had been issued While many central areas enjoyed uninterrupted winter sunshine, the north of Scotland and the East Coast experienced some of the heaviest snowfall of the winter. The northerly air stream, which is expected to last for most of the week, hit Orkney and Shetland, where all schools were...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (NNS) -- Viewers and listeners of the American Forces Network (AFN) may experience brief programming interruptions from Feb. 28 through March 12 as the spring "sun outage" period occurs. These seasonal outages, which take place each spring and fall, affect all satellite communications, including the AFN radio and television services distributed by the AFN Broadcast Center from the Defense Media Center (DMC) at Riverside, Calif. Sun outage-related programming interruptions are characterized by a complete loss of signal for as much as several minutes. The interruptions occur when the sun's position aligns with broadcast satellites and Earth-station receivers. The...

It is the secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die, but only retire from sight and afterwards return again. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson And so it happens again today, as it has through a lifetime, with the first Major League Baseball players returning to sight after retiring for a winter. All is good with the world again. It begins in Florida and in Arizona, with pitchers and catchers for eight teams reporting this afternoon to their respective Spring Training camps. Leading the way this year are the Tigers, Orioles, Rangers, Angels, Mariners, Cubs, Dodgers and...

Hi Ya'll My family is a long line of Freepers. Due to anti freepers Mom no longer posts here. I am currently busy with my studies in Catholic Catechism and working on my Holy Confirmation. I also am busy with my studies of Marine Biology at OSU. Some may reconize me from the pics. I try to have a good time when not boring my assist/careproviders with studies. I would like to kick of Valentines Day with some fun. Here is what I did... (this is a special Lady and life long freind who I called upon to let her...

Petrol prices 'to rise steeply until spring' By David Derbyshire, Consumer Affairs Editor (Filed: 21/01/2006) Motorists should be braced for yet more steep rises in the price of petrol over the coming months, the AA Motoring Trust warned yesterday. The cost of a litre of unleaded was likely to rise above 90p within weeks and could well shoot up further, a spokesman said. The warning came as the trust published a report into the spiralling cost of fuel. Petrol and diesel prices started the New Year about 10p per litre higher than in January 2005, it said. With the average...

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world. A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in...

Waterspout taps into an old spring of republicanism By Tom Peterkin, Ireland Correspondent (Filed: 29/10/2005) An apparently innocuous waterspout given to a small market town after it suffered from crop failure would appear to be an unlikely symbol of English colonial oppression. But plans to restore a 19th century limestone well in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, have re-ignited ancient Anglo-Irish animosities. A £27,000 proposal to refurbish the spout and reinstate a plaque commemorating the "unparalleled benevolence of the English nation to the poor of Ireland" has outraged republicans, still smarting from the treatment of Irish peasants during the Great Famine of...

BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 27, 2005 – A "fairly substantial" withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq could take place next spring or summer if the insurgency doesn't grow and the country's political process continues as scheduled, the commander of coalition forces said here today. U.S. Army Gen. George W. Casey, head of Multinational Force Iraq, spoke during a surprise visit to Iraq by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. At a later joint news conference with Rumsfeld, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said the departure of U.S. forces from his country depends on how soon Iraq can train, equip and field its...

Whites-only group looking to recruit members (Update, Spring Lake, May 24, 2005, 11:50 a.m.) It's a new group looking to recruit new members, and it has just one requirement. You have to be white. The group goes by the name White Voices of America, a whites-only group calling for fair and equal treatment of white people in West Michigan. The group has been busy passing out flyers in Spring Lake, Ferrysburg, and Grand Haven. Joel Toppen is with the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance. Several people in the tri-cities area have expressed concern to the police about the group's activity. Members...

Quake that triggered Indonesian tsunami affected Japan's hot springs An earthquake off Sumatra that triggered a devastating tsunami in December last year caused changes in the water levels and temperatures of some hot springs in Japan that are 6,000 kilometers away from its focus, seismologists have concluded. The finding has demonstrated the scale and intensity of the earthquake that left thousands of people dead in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and other countries. A group of seismologists led by Tottori University Prof. Ryohei Nishida will present the results of their research at the 2005 Joint Meeting for Earth and Planetary Science...

WASHINGTON -- Each spring, the robins are arriving in Wisconsin several days earlier than they did a decade ago. Endangered woodpeckers in North Carolina are laying their eggs about a week earlier than they did 20 years ago. And some of Washington, D.C.'s signature cherry trees bloom about a month earlier than they did a half-century ago. The first signs of spring are appearing earlier in the year, and a new study from Stanford University released Monday says man-made global warming is clearly to blame. Mother Nature has rushed spring forward by nearly 10 days worldwide, on average, in just...

Germans have a lot to look forward to this coming month. Even though the country's non-compensation policy will mean that workers will miss out on this year's May 1 holiday because it falls on a Sunday, there will be plenty of time for May-time frolicking: One-third of all German public holidays this year fall in the month of May. The holiday-filled month starts off with Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day) on May 5, a holiday that conveniently always falls on a Thursday. Those with travel plans like to use the Friday - wedged in between the holiday and the weekend -...

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: The President and First Lady are spending the weekend in Washington. They had no public appearances planned, but did come out together to make a statement about the passing of Pope John Paul II. THE WEEK AHEAD: On Monday, GWB welcomes Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko to the White House. President Yushchenko also will address the Congress next week. WH Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "The President looks forward to welcoming President Yushchenko to the White House. His election was a landmark event in the history of liberty. And the Orange Revolution was inspiring to all...

HERE WE GO AGAIN.... Reminder to move clocks ahead one hour this weekend. Those of you in Hawaii, Arizona, and most of Indiana --- Never mind.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world. A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in...

'Easter' Bunny Gives Way To 'Spring' Bunny Some Local Malls Go P.C. For Religious Holiday Customers at local area malls are being taken by surprise to find that the Easter Bunny they've come to know and love now has a new name. In fact, some local malls now refer to the Easter icon as the "Spring Bunny." However, some customers don't like the new trend. "It makes me sad, because I think Easter is really important. The message is important," Plano mother Deidra Klemm said. "And I think it's wrong to call him the Spring Bunny. Let's just say what...